


What You Like

by zebraljb



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-12 21:06:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18454625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zebraljb/pseuds/zebraljb
Summary: Eggsy realizes Merlin has forgotten their 15th wedding anniversary...or so he thinks.





	What You Like

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eggsyobsessed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eggsyobsessed/gifts).



> A very happy birthday to the beautiful and talented woman who was my first true friend in the Kingsman fandom. You've had a rough year so far; hopefully the rest of 2019 brings you everything wonderful...you deserve it.

WHAT YOU LIKE

“Morning, babe. Morning, my princesses.” Eggsy kisses the top of Merlin’s head, then the top of the brunette and blonde heads next to him. “Don’t you all look lovely today?” He heads to the toaster and pushes the button, watching Merlin carefully.

“I do look quite becoming in this jumper, I agree,” Merlin says modestly, smoothing it down.

“Da…he was talking about us!” The blonde bursts into giggles.

“Are ye sure, Gracie? I dinnae think so. I more than both of ye could be described as a princess,” Merlin says haughtily.

“A peacock, maybe,” Eggsy says as he pours his coffee.

“Nah, that’s Uncle Harry,” the older girl says, sneaking a peek at her phone.

“No electronics at the table, Melody,” Eggsy says with a stern look. She guiltily puts it away. “That goes for everyone.” The stern look turns on Merlin.

“I am hands-free.” Merlin puts both hands up.

“Glasses count.” Eggsy butters his toast, grabs an apple, and sits down between his daughters. “What do we have planned for today?”

“I have ballet after school,” Grace tells him. “Amy’s mom is gonna bring me home.”

“Mel?”  
“Tech club,” Melody says, taking her plate to the sink. “And Da, Jessica’s mom said if it’s all right with you, she’ll take us to the store for a bit and bring me home by dinner? I need lip gloss, and she needs…”

“Please.” Merlin holds up a hand. “I love ye so very much, Melody, but I cannae hear a laundry list of cosmetics.” Eggsy smiles, knowing the real reason why Merlin doesn’t want to hear the explanation. He hates the thought of his twelve-year-old daughter buying cosmetics and growing up in general.

“Oh, Da.” She smiles fondly and kisses the top of his head. 

“That is fine, lass. I’m planning on making spaghetti for dinner, so I dinnae need ye home early.”

“Oh, yer cookin’?” Eggsy asks innocently. He watches Merlin, who looks confused. 

“It is Tuesday, Eggsy. I come home early on Tuesdays and usually cook dinner. Are ye all right? Ye had that head injury last week when ye tripped in the shop.”

Eggsy rolls his eyes. They’ve had to find new and inventive ways of explaining his mission injuries, and they usually make him sound like a klutzy fool. “My head is fine. I was just…wondering, that’s all. Your spaghetti is aces, babe.” He finishes his toast and stands up. “I need to get moving. If ya get ready, Gracie, I can walk ya to the bus stop.”

“Okay, Daddy!” Grace hops out of her chair and bounces upstairs.

“Da, you promised me fabric samples for my science class,” Melody tells Merlin.

“Aye, lass, I did. Ye will have them tonight,” Merlin vows. They watch her head upstairs. “Ach…lip gloss, trips to the store. I remember when she was satisfied with coming home to play Legos with me. And some days Grace is eight going on eighteen.”

“Our little birds are growing up, babe.” Merlin stands and Eggsy gives him a hug. “Sure ya don’t wanna…dunno…do something different for dinner?”

“Nae…I’m hungry for spaghetti.”

“All right.” Eggsy’s heart sinks into his shoes and he plods upstairs.

 

“Have a good day, my love. Pay attention in maths…ye have nae been doing your best.” Merlin hugs and kisses Grace.

“I know, Da.” She hangs her head. “I’ll try harder.”

“That’s my good lass. Have a good day, my heart.” Merlin gives Eggsy a tender kiss. “I love ye so very much.”

“Love ya, babe.” Eggsy looks as if he wants to say something more but changes his mind. “C’mon, Gracie.” His shoulders slump as he walks out the door with their youngest.

“Why are you hurting his feelings?” Melody demands from the stairs as soon as the door closes. “Daddy’s upset and it’s your fault.”

“I dinnae know what ye are talking about, lass, and I would appreciate it if ye watched your tone.” Merlin returns to clean up the rest of the breakfast items. He normally doesn’t go in until nine, and has time to tidy up.

“He wants something from you, wants you to say something, and you aren’t doing it.” She follows close on his heels and angrily steps between Merlin and the counter. 

“Ye are surprisingly perceptive for one so young, Melody. I wish I could hire ye.”

“Hire me?” She blinks at him, temporarily distracted.

“Never mind. Ye need to leave in fifteen, ye should get moving.”

“Nope.” She glances over his shoulder at the calendar and gasps. “Da! Today is your anniversary! Did you even SAY happy anniversary?”

“Get ready for school.”

“Da,” she whines. “You didn’t even say anything…nothing special.”

“He didn’t say anything either,” Merlin points out. “It’s just another day, lass.”

“Not to Daddy. You know how he gets about romance and sappy things. You had to block the Hallmark Movie Channel because the films got him all worked up. I know you don’t care about showing love and all that, but…”

“Melody, enough of this. Go get ready for school…NOW!” Merlin barks.

Tears fill her eyes. “Daddy loves you so much…I’m so disappointed in you, Da.” She turns on her heel and runs out of the room.

Merlin sighs and braces himself on the counter. Harry Hart wasn’t the only drama queen in his life. God save him from tweens.

 

When Eggsy arrives home he has high hopes, but Merlin dashes them as soon as he gets in the door. “Welcome home, lad.” He kisses Eggsy and nuzzles at his throat for a moment. “How was your day?”

“Fine,” Eggsy says. “Girls get home all right?”

“Yes. Grace has some extra homework she’s finishing up…I told her I would look over it after dinner. Melody is talking with her friends about the “best thing ever” she picked up at the store today.” He shakes his head. “They are to come down and set the table in twenty minutes.”

“Sounds good.” Eggsy follows Merlin into the kitchen, looking for something. Anything. “So, uh, how was your day?”

“Good. Got into a lovely argument with Harry about new equipment for the gun range. The man will drop money on suits or shoes or cufflinks without blinking an eye, but getting a bloody pound out of him as Arthur is like pulling teeth.”

“I bet.” 

Eggsy cannot believe it. Merlin has forgotten their anniversary. He understands that the romance falls away a bit as years pass, but he’s always felt their love – and passion for one another – was stronger than ever. And this is a fairly important milestone…fifteen years. But the word ‘anniversary’ has not left Merlin’s lips once the entire day. Eggsy has purposely not said anything, just waiting to see if Merlin will say it first. He also has a small gift for him up in his closet. 

“Why don’t ye go change and make yourself a drink, lad? Dinner will be finished shortly.”

“All right.” Eggsy loosens his tie as he slowly walks upstairs. He’d never thought they would come to this point in their relationship, where things like anniversaries became just another day. “Hello, Gracie.” He stops in the doorway of Grace’s pink room. She’s at her tiny desk, head bent over a worksheet.

“Hi, Daddy. I hate maths.”

“I did, too. Yer allowed ta hate them…but ya still gotta do them.”

“Crap,” she mutters. He smiles faintly as he moves to the next door.

“Melody.”

“Daddy.” She flies across the room and surprises him with a big hug. “Hello. I love you.”

“Well, I love ya as well,” he says. “Everything all right?”

“Yes, I just wanted you to show you that I love you. Since other people in this house are being…since some people in this house are acting like…” Melody struggles with the words and Eggsy smiles. He knows that feeling perfectly, when you want to curse and know you’re not allowed to. “Da is being a total…jerk,” she finally finishes.

“Don’t talk about yer Da that way,” he says automatically, even though he silently agrees.

The rest of their evening proceeds in a normal fashion. Gracie and Melody chatter about their day, although Melody continues to send Merlin dirty looks that he studiously ignores. Eggsy will have to ask about THAT later. Eggsy and Melody clean up the dishes while Merlin sits in the study and helps Grace with her homework. They go into the living room to watch a favorite family program, although Melody makes a point of cuddling up to Eggsy and ignoring Merlin entirely. Merlin looks hurt but not very shocked.

“All right,” Merlin says when the show is over. “Bedtime for young ladies. Eggsy, would ye mind performing the bedtime duties tonight? I need to finish a few things in the kitchen.”

“Sure,” Eggsy says, bouncing up from the sofa. “Say goodnight to yer Da, girls, and we can head up.”

“Good night, Da.” Grace squeezes him tight. “Thank you for helping me. I understand it much better now.”

“Anytime, lass…I like helping ye.” 

“Night,” Melody mumbles. She barely presses a kiss to his cheek and runs upstairs.

“Do ya want me ta talk to her, babe? She ain’t been actin’ right,” Eggsy finally says.

“Nae, lad. She is at an age where she will have her little strops. It is fine.”

Eggsy shrugs and follows the girls up the stairs. The rule is that Melody must go up when Grace does, although she doesn’t need to go to bed for another hour. She usually curls up in bed and chats with her friends online. Eggsy reads Grace a story, and Melody listens as well, sitting on a beanbag chair in the corner of Grace’s room. He loves that she still likes to listen; Merlin isn’t the only one not quite ready for his girls to grow up just yet.

“Good night, princess.” Eggsy hands Grace her stuffed penguin and kisses her forehead.

“Good night, Daddy.” Grace snuggles down onto her pillow.

“Night, Gracie,” Melody calls over her shoulder as she leaves the room.

Eggsy follows her to her bedroom. “Lights off in an hour.”

“Yeah, Dad, I know.” She rolls her eyes.

“Oh, I’m Dad now?” Eggsy asks with a grin.

“Sometimes,” she teases. She pulls her long hair into a bun on top of her head and reaches for her tablet.

“No talking about boys,” he teases back.

“Daddy!” Melody whines, turning pink.

Eggsy chuckles as he heads back downstairs. He goes to the kitchen and is surprised to find it empty. “Babe?” He turns around and realizes he hears music. “Babe?” Eggsy follows the sound to the front parlor, a room they rarely use. “What are ya…Hamish!” 

Merlin stands in the middle of the room wearing a suit. It’s one of Eggsy’s favorite looks on him, one he rarely gets to see. Candles are lit around the room, and Merlin is holding a bouquet of white roses. A bottle of champagne is on ice on the table, and Frank Sinatra is quietly playing in the background. “Happy anniversary, mo chridhe.”

“Hamish,” Eggsy whispers, tears filling his eyes. “Ya…ya didn’t forget.”

“How could I forget one of the happiest days of my life?” Merlin holds out the bouquet and Eggsy takes it, inhaling the scent of the flowers. “The day ye promised me forever, Eggsy…that will be burned on my brain forever.”

“Fuck, Hamish.” Eggsy sniffles.

Merlin smiles and cups Eggsy’s face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe the tears away. “I love ye so very much, Eggsy.”

“I love you, too.” Eggsy tilts his head up and Merlin gives him a long, passionate kiss.

“DA!” They break apart and turn to see Melody in the doorway. She has her hand pressed over her mouth. “Oh…oh, Da.” She runs over and hugs Merlin so hard she almost knocks him over. “Sorry, Da…so sorry I acted like an idiot. Thought you forgot…thought you…”

“Aye, lass, I understand. It’s fine, although I appreciate your apology.” Merlin smiles and kisses her hair. “Now, back upstairs with ye…ye are interrupting my anniversary moment.”

“Sorry. I just…sorry.” She hugs him, hugs Eggsy, and runs away.

Eggsy looks at Merlin in confusion. “She saw ye were unhappy this morning, and realized why. I have nae been her favorite person today. I just wanted to surprise ye…show ye how much I value ye when ye were not expecting it.”

“You succeeded,” Eggsy says.

Merlin holds out his hand. “Dance with me, my Eggsy?”

“Forever,” Eggsy murmurs, allowing Merlin to take him into his arms.


End file.
